Man's Biggest Problem

What we do about Cindy come to Jesus Christ. He forgives that as a believer when it raises itself in our lives when the temptations come we stand on the confidence that it's already forgiven that we moved to the strengths provided for us in the power of the spirit of God in the queue that beloved so saturated word of God dominates you think, and against God as John MacArthur's been showing you the last couple of weeks your own grace to you in a series called the sinfulness of sin. And yet, maybe you still find yourself with questions. For example, if you fail to forgive someone or if you have a bad attitude is that just as serious. Is it the same kind of rebellion against God as stealing or murder, how concerned he is God about your sinful thoughts compared with your sinful actions. Well, as John digs into Matthew chapter 5 again today, you'll see just how seriously God judges your motives and with that follow along. Now, as John MacArthur helps you come to grips with the sinfulness of sin.

I want us to see the answer the five questions question number one what is sin what is anything this severe, needs a definition. We must understand in order to avoid the definition of simple. First John 34. Listen. Sin is the transgression of the law.

That is sin. Sin is the transgression of the law.

Literally the Greek is everyone doing sin is doing a lot less mess nominee sin is disobeying ignoring God's law and fact, the Greek construction of first John 34 makes sin and lawlessness identical, we might say, sin is living as if there was no God and no law sin is godlessness, lawlessness is not being bound by the standards of God is living on your own definition, and by your own terms and according to your own will is the second question, what is sin like what is it like here you go past the definition and I want to have you looked for a minute. The nature of sin.

What is sin like we saw what it was rebellion against God. What is it like it is defiling rebellion in gratitude and an incurable disease that brings us to 1/5 aspect of sin is hated by God. This is part of its nature, is the very antithesis of what God is and I know this is obvious, but let me just add some thoughts for your thinking says the only thing God hates is the only thing God hates the only thing he has antagonism against God doesn't resist a man because he is poor especially loves the poor guy doesn't resist a man because he is ignorant he cares for those God does not resist a person because he's crippled he has made the blind and the deaf in the hall. God does not resist a man because he's ill. God does not resist a person because they're despised by the world. God is antagonistic only to see in and Habakkuk had it right when he said, thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon iniquity.

Jeremiah 44 four God called out to the prophet Jeremiah.

With tears in a breaking heart old.

Do not this abominable thing which I hate. God hates sin because sin separates man from God. Sin breaks the very thing for which God made man fellowship.

So sin is defiling rebellion in gratitude incurable, and hated by God sixth sin is hard work, sin is hard work. All it causes pain and yet it amazes me how busy people are doing it. All it does is bring them grief and death and hell, but they work at it.

Jeremiah 95 says they weary themselves committing iniquity. They weary themselves committing iniquity's amazing in Psalm 714, the Bible says behold the travails with iniquity and travail is the word used for birth pains most severe kind of human pain known to them in that day they will literally go through birth pains. Without anesthetic, earning the most severe human pain, they would go through that to do their evil and probably add reference that Psalm does to David's enemy Kush who was chasing David and literally was in pain but wouldn't stop with his evil deed.

Ezekiel 24. She is wearing herself, telling lies, and it's amazing what people go to hell, sweating, they really do they work hard at being sinners. What is sin like it is defiling rebellion in gratitude incurable hated by God and it's hard work. That's why the Bible says when you come to Jesus Christ your wrist coming to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I give you what rest rest from what for one thing from the work that sin is what a wretched thing evil of sin is rich, so wretched isn't that millions of people are damned by its power so wretched is it that it took the very death of God himself in Christ to remove it from the life of man.

Third quest, but only what is sin what is sin like but how many people to sin affect people always asked us how many people to sin affect and the answer is very simple. The answers all through the Bible, but let me just give you one verse that will help.

Romans 512 wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. Even so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned, all will have it soon.

Romans 323 says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans chapter 3 in verse 19 says that every mouth may be stopped in the whole world guilty before God. Now sin entered the world through one man Gentiles don't understand that too well with the Jewish mind understands the Jewish mind understands it, because Jewish people see themselves not as an individual but always as a part of a tribe or a family or nation apart from that identity. They have no individual existence. For example, in Joshua 718 can send he sin you know what happened. His whole family died in the whole nation of Israel failed in their next battle. In other words, he was acting in a sense, for a family and even for a nation in Hebrews chapter 7 verses nine and 10. It says that Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek in the loins of Abraham. Levi wasn't even alive or even near being alive at the time that Abraham gave ties to Melchizedek with the Jews always see themselves bound up in their ancestry and so it is, as Paul writes in this argument, he is saying. When Adam sinned, everybody bound in the loins of that ever issued out of your life became sinful. So Adam sin is our sin by propagation.

Job 14 for then says who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not want you start out with an evil father and evil mother regarding an evil kid that simple. And it will go on like Psalm 58, three says the wicked are estranged from the womb. That's the way they're born and so not only is the guilt of Adam sin imputed to us, but the depravity and the corruption of his nature is transmitted to the poison goes from the spring to the well to the people to drink.

That's what theologians call Original Sin you will come into this world any other way than as a sinner used to be a big argument about this and there was a theologian who said no you come into the world of the neutral situation you can choose to be a sinner not Pelagius. In August he had one answer to them. He said find me one who didn't you soon and I might believe it never did find never did you come into this world as a sinner. We've all sinned in Adam with all come short of the glory of God.

We've all been born corruption. We are all Adam's progeny, and as the progeny of Adam. We bear the corruption that he bore that's why Paul says in Romans 725 and I do what I want to do matter how strong my will is with my flash eyes serve the principle of sin, because it's in my nature. It's will enter the war on the wolf of my life.

My existence Adam sin. I like to think of it this way clings to every man just like Naaman's leprosy clung to get Hayes I and if the roots are this deep, beloved, that's a real problem. You know, even when you become a Christian. The roots of sinner solar as you know that Stiller we still struggle.

Don't Paul says in Romans seven the things I want to do or don't do the things I don't want to do I do I find this law warring in my members sinned against righteous we find in Hebrews chapter 12 that he calls to us. This is all run with patience the race that is set before you lay aside every weight on the sin which does so what easily beset us, why is it so easy for sin to process it so deep in our nature were sinners. No one escapes that is what sin is. That is what sin is like that is who is affected by fourth question. What is a result of sin. What what is the result of sin. The realism what is it bring to bear our lives.

First sin causes evil to overpower us. Sin causes evil to overpower us. This is its effect just to start at the very beginning, the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately want wicked Jeremiah 79. Sin dominates the mind. It dominates the mind. That's what Jeremiah saying. Sin overpowers the mind. Ephesians 417 says that the Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind because their understanding is darkened, they are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. They are past feeling and they give themselves over to lasciviousness other words, they are dominated in their minds, their whole mind is dominated by evil. That's why it says the natural man understand not the things of God.

To him, they are foolishness because they are spiritually discerned in these virtually dead. First Corinthians 214 evil dominates the mind. Secondly, evil dominates the that the will. Jeremiah 44 ready earlier we will certainly do that which is in our hearts to do. We will do whatever comes out of our mouths. Sin dominates not only how we think, but it dominates what triggers what we do sin even dominates our affections. Oh yes, sin dominates the things we love.

That's why John and to say love not the world is the things that are in the world because it's so easy for us to be dominated by sin and the Bible says in John 319. The light came into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. So sin dominates the affection. Sin dominates the will sin dominates the mind and ultimately if your mind and your well and your affections are dominated by evil, your behavior will be. That's Original Sin. It's like the tree in Daniel chapter 4 verse 23, though the branches were cut down in the main trunk was cut the stump and the root remains even though you became a Christian and that was whacked off the stump is still there.

Until Jesus comes and according to John 15.

I think the father is busy putting off the shoots that keep coming up in our lives as Christian the Christian must realize as well as the non-Christian. That sin is so deep in our nature.

It's like a sleeping lion in the least thing will awaken its rage. Our sin nature smolders like a flaming fire, ready to be ignited in the slightest wind of temptation fans it into flame.

So if your nonbeliever, you need to run to Jesus Christ to have it covered. And if you're Christian you need to be sure you don't do anything to induce it to wake from sleep for the first result of sin is that it overpowers us in a power can only they can only be broken by Christ. Second result of sin in our lives as it brings us under the control of Satan who wants to be dominated by Satan who would ever choose to be dominated by that evil being and yet the Bible says in Ephesians 2 to those who don't know Jesus Christ walk according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience. You don't know Jesus Christ. Satan is at work in your life. Jesus said to those religious people gathered around him and John eight you are of your father the devil in first John 519 says the whole world lies in the lap of the wicked one in Romans 616, he says, in effect, your servants to sin and Satan. So what is the effect of sin in our lives. What is it due to us. First of all, overpowers us so that our thinking and our feelings and our will and our behavior is dominated by secondly it brings us under the dominion of the evil adversary, Satan. There's no freedom. There's only slavery.

There's no liberty there's only bondage we Satan makes you think you're free when somebody comes to Jesus Christ. Jesus says if the sun shall make you free, shall be free for real. Why does he say that because Satan sells a phony freedom. How many movements can you think of today that are called liberation movements is man free is even liberated not on your life is in bondage to sin. It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can free us. That's why acts 26 verse 18 says Paul was called to preach Christ and to open their eyes that is the Gentiles, and to turn them from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sin and inheritance. In other words, the preaching of the gospel opens eyes turns people from darkness delivers them out of the parent of Satan under God. Sin dominates and puts us under the power of Satan third result of sin. It makes us objects of God's wrath.

Ephesians 23 as I quoted earlier. We are the objects of God's wrath, he calls us children of wrath bull's-eyes for God and guns of judgment. This is serious. Psalm 90 verse 11. The psalmist said and who knows the power of God's wrath who can measure who knows God's wrath is infinite and by the way, it's not just a passion. God's wrath is an activist pure and holy will against sin, which to file this universe you have to ask yourself when you read the Bible and you read about God's wrath how sinners can go blindly on and their sin. In Galatians 310 it says curse. It is everyone that continues not in the things written in the book of the law that it says in the next verse, the just shall live by faith.

And if you don't come to God through faith you will be cursed. Jesus is the object of our love and God says in first Corinthians 16 if any man not love not the Lord, let him be accursed.

God is very serious sin overpowers us, controls us, makes us objects of God's wrath. I don't know how a sinner can eat drink and be merry when he knows that's a fact. That's like Damocles banquet who while he sat eating with a sword hanging over his head by a small thread still had the stomach to eat so the sort of God's wrath hangs over the head of the sinner and yet he goes on eating drinking and making Mary listen only Christ can save us from that wrath. First Thessalonians 1 tells us that we wait for his son, who delivers us from the wrath to come. But you glad you're Christian you been delivered from the wrath to come. Sin causes evil to impel empower us sin because of Satan to control us. Sin causes us to be objects of God's wrath and 1/4 sin, the subjects us to the miseries of life. You know, just follow the path of sin and you just go from one misery to another Job 57 man is born to trouble man is born to trouble.

Romans 820 Paul says that the creature is subjected to vanity, no other words to uselessness, emptiness, something missing a heart that never satisfy this. Never satisfy the thirst.

It's never quenched a hunger that's never filled in with Solomon man says vanity of vanities, all is vanity. I looked over everything and I said it all means nothing. Solomon tried it all and it all came out, emptiness, bitterness, sorrow, meaninglessness, and useless. Sin degrades man of his honor Ruben because of incest lost his dignity. In Genesis 49 so has man lost his dignity. Man is been robbed of peace and there's no peace to the wicked, says the Bible. But there like the troubled sea when it cannot rest is waters churn up Myron dirt. Judas was so violent evil that he follow the path of trouble, until finally in absolute horror and desperation with a conscience that was shouting so loud he couldn't stand to hear it. It took a rope tied around his neck hanging from a tree hanged himself. His rope broke and his body was crushed on the rocks below. He was trying to escape his conscience and all he did was wind up in hell, where his conscience was louder than he ever heard it before and will be forever was that's the result of sin.

But there's one other reason.

Sin finally damns the soul to hell. People think they can sing and get away with but you can't, all you have to do is read Revelation chapter 20 read about the great white throne and how people are cast into the lake of fire. Realize that 50 million people die every year. You know that 136,986 die every day 5707 every hour, 95 people die every minute. Spurgeon said many people are hanging over the mouth of hell by a solitary plank and they don't know it, but the plank is rotten.

So we see the deadly evil of sin. We've answered some questions about sin.

What is it what is it like how does affect us, but there's really final fifth and most helpful question what you do about what you do about well and I simply say this. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is what eternal life.

That's the key is the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.

When Jesus died on the cross. He paid the penalty for your sin, and he offers you forgiveness and Romans 47.

The Bible says blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Happy is the man who knows it's all forgiven, happy is the matter knows God comfortable the righteousness Is the manner knows that God will never charge it to his account Is the man knows the debt is canceled. Happy is the man who knows the price is paid. Happy is the man who comes to Jesus Christ takes the free gift that's happiness is what Jesus is trying to say in the sermon on the Maxie is trying to say San is such a tremendous problem but I want you see the reality of it and I wanted to drive you to myself and my sacrifice on your behalf, so I'm a Christian. I heard this message, but if there's a little state of indifference, then you've lost some of the sense of gratitude to John to have in your heart for God is done for you. I hope by seeing soon again you're grateful for your forgiveness.

What you do about it. You come to Jesus Christ. Exhibit is a Christian.

I know that the branches are chopped down the truck is been laid way, but there's still the root there and the shoots keep coming out I how I deal with sin in my life where we studied a lot we studied a lot.

The answer simple to full recognize it's been forgiven.

It's been forgiven is forgiven you all your trespasses for his namesake is been forgiven.

Second, recognize you have the power to say no, you have the power to say no glasses 35 says mortify the deeds of the body kill it say Johnny say no to sin.

Say yes to God.

Sin will fight against that which you know is righteous and depending upon the dominance of your life by the spirit of God, you'll say yes to one of the other, but first of all what we do about sin.

That's the last question you come to Jesus Christ. He forgives it. Then, as a believer when it raises itself in our lives and the temptations come we stand on the confidence that it's already forgiven. So we don't get under some emotional guilt trip some distrust of God that we moved to the strengths provided for us in the power of the spirit of God and the key to that beloved bulimia. The key that is to be so saturated with the word of God that it dominates your thinking so that when the temptation comes, you react with the word of God. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. John teaches here daily on grace to you. He's also Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary's current study is titled the sinfulness of sin. At the end there. John, you said that the way to fight sin is to dig deep into the word of God to let it saturate all of our thinking so talk about how that specifically works out as a deeper knowledge of the Bible translate practically into less sin. What the Bible puts it this way as a man thinks in his heart, so is so whatever is controlling your thoughts is going to end up in your words, and it's going to end up in your conduct your behavior.

Everything starts back at the thought point in the head, that is, again, Philippians 4, eight, whatever is pure and true and honest and good, think on these things or Romans 12 be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may know what is the good and perfect will of God. Set your affections on things above and not on things in the earth.

These are the kinds of thoughts that are at work in the believer who is filled with the spirit.

When the flesh is on the lease. If you have the work of the flesh which is all disastrous and sinful. So it's really a battle for the mind. It's a battle for how you think and that battle goes on all the time and you need to be fought all the time. You don't say well because you know I graduate from seminary and I know the theology I now know the truth, I have it locked down for the rest of my life. It's amazing how that can slip it. It has to be an ongoing sort of saturation of your mind. I've said this many many times.

But the greatest benefit to me being in expositor in the word of God.

For over a half-century is being exposed to the Bible every week of my life so that my thoughts can never go very far away from the text of Scripture that kind of saturation of the word of God in my mind. I really believe in people will last me sometimes how did you survive so long in the ministry without some scandal or whatever. It's not that I have some superior powers. I don't like everybody else, but the word of God will do what it says it will do, it will purify the heart. It will awaken the mind and the conscience now. You need the word of God, but you need to know what's in it. So get a MacArthur study Bible. It's got 25,000 notes explaining the Bible.

I was in a police station yesterday talking to some guys that though we are having lunch with the local police and one of the guys come up to me and said wow I just got one of the study Bibles I've never read the Bible in my life and understood it like this. That's from a guy who's just discovered it so I was really thrilled. If you don't have a MacArthur study Bible, you can get one so check the website or give us a call would be glad to help you yes whether you've studied the Bible for decades or you're just getting started. MacArthur study Bible is a tool you will reach for every day to order a copy for yourself for one for a friend contact us today along with the 25,000 footnotes that explain virtually every passage, the MacArthur study Bible also has introductions to all 66 books of the Bible outlines, maps, charts and other helps. That will take you deep into God's word.

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Thanks for making grace to you part of your day and be here tomorrow for another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you